Collapse of an Ant‐Plant Mutalism: The Argentine Ant (Iridomyrmex Humilis) and Myrmecochorous Proteaceae
Collapse of an Ant‐Plant Mutalism: The Argentine Ant (Iridomyrmex Humilis) and Myrmecochorous Proteaceae
复制标题
蚂蚁-植物互融现象的崩溃：阿根廷蚁 (Iridomyrmex Humilis) 和 Myrmecochorous Proteaceae
DOI：
--
复制
发表时间：
1984
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
P. Slingsby
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
W. Bond;P. Slingsby
在芬伯斯角灌木丛中的许多植物物种都有蚂蚁传播的种子。阿根廷蚂蚁Irido-myrmexhumilis最近入侵了Fynbos地区，取代了当地的主要蚂蚁。研究了入侵对种子传播的影响。Iridomyrmex与本地蚂蚁不同的是，发现蚂蚁分散的Mimetes cucullatus（Proteaceae）的种子（形态瘦果）的速度较慢，移动距离较短，并且无法将它们储存在土壤下的巢穴中。留在土壤表面的种子被脊椎动物和无脊椎动物捕食者吃掉。为了研究出苗情况，建立了种子库，然后烧毁了该地区。出现的是35.3%的网站没有Iridomyrmex和0.7%的感染网站。实生苗生长在天然林中。在非发生地，同一火烧迹地的僧帽水母分布广泛，而在发生地，僧帽水母数量较少，且仅分布在林冠半径内。我们认为，持续入侵的fynbos的Iridomyrmex可能最终导致灭绝的许多罕见的，特有的海角Proteaceae的种子储备缓慢和微妙的磨损。
Many plant species in Cape fynbos shrublands have seeds dispersed by ants. Irido- myrmex humilis, the Argentine ant, has recently invaded areas of fynbos and displaced the dominant native ants. The consequences of the invasion for seed dispersal were studied. Iridomyrmex differed from native ants in being slower to discover the seeds (morphologically achenes) of ant-dispersed Mimetes cucullatus (Proteaceae), in moving them shorter distances, and in failing to store them in nests below the soil. Seeds left on the soil surface were eaten by vertebrate and invertebrate predators. To study seedling emergence, seed depots were established and then the area was burned. Emergence was 35.3% in sites not infested by Iridomyrmex and 0.7% in infested sites. Seedlings in naturally occurring stands of M. cucullatus burnt in the same fire were widely distributed in noninfested sites, but were fewer and were confined within the canopy radius in infested sites. We suggest that continued invasion of fynbos by Iridomyrmex may eventually lead to extinction of many rare, endemic Cape Proteaceae by slow and subtle attrition of seed reserves.